Modern Love Is Automatic

Narrative Feature, Emerging Visions
D: Zach Clark; with Melodie Sisk, Maggie Ross, Carlos Bustamante, Tom Neubauer, Diana Cherkas

Like scads of current bands and thrift-store twentysomethings, Modern Love Is Automatic references the 1980s in a number of literal ways (not the least of which is the Flock of Seagulls song it takes as its title), but the manner in which it revisits the black-comedy trash films of that decade is more than superficial. Its story of deadpan nurse Lorraine Schultz (Sisk), who moonlights as a dominatrix, hits “refresh” on the aburdist-nihilist sex romps of John Waters or Paul Bartel: Clark concocts a pervy, self-enclosed universe that’s as comic as the work of his minigenre predecessors, as well as a shade less cartoonish and more consistently styled (Lorraine’s monochromatic outfits are works of art). Despite more than a hint of misanthropy and uniformly repulsive behavior on the part of 90% of its characters, Modern Love allows in traces of vulnerability and pathos; the effect is surprisingly poignant.

Saturday, March 21, 7:15pm, Alamo South Lamar

This article appears in March 20 • 2009.

A note to readers: Bold and uncensored, The Austin Chronicle has been Austin’s independent news source for over 40 years, expressing the community’s political and environmental concerns and supporting its active cultural scene. Now more than ever, we need your support to continue supplying Austin with independent, free press. If real news is important to you, please consider making a donation of $5, $10 or whatever you can afford, to help keep our journalism on stands.

SUPPORT US